Heating means for internal-combustion engines



2,623,51 1 HEATING MEANS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Qct. 18, 1949 Dec. 30, 1952 a. J. o. WELIN'BERGER a SheetsJ-Sheet 1 INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS- Dec. 30, 1952 G. .1. o. WELINBERGER 2,523,511

HEATING MEANS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nmy ToR. Y 34 81; rm 5W1; AL

N mm ms ws nQ w mQ Filed Oct. 18, 1949 Dec. 30, 1952 G. J. o. WELlN-BERGER 2,623,511

HEATING MEANS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 18, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 F/GZa m4 ii w Dec. 30, 1952 G. J. o. WELIN'BERGER 2,623,511

HEATING MEANS FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Opt. 18, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR:

G. J. o. WELlN-BERGER 2,623,511

HEATING MEANS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Obi. 18, 1949 lh 4 $572k 30, 95 2 c. u. Q. WELIN-BERGER- 5 35 HEATING MEAIYS'FOR INTERNL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed 'oct. 18, 1949 8 'Sheets S heet 6 Dec. 30, 1952 G. J o. WELlN-BEIRGER 2,623,511 HEATI NG MEANS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Oct. 18, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Patented Dec. 30, 1952 .HEATING MEANS FOR INTERNAL- CUMBUSTION ENGINES Guy JohnOlof Wclin-Berger, Stockholm, Sweden.

Application OctoberlS, 1949,. SerialNo'. 121;!)58 In Sweden October 20, 1948 14 Claims;

The invention relates -to improvements in heating means formaintaining the liquid-in liquid cooled internal combustion: engines at a: sufficiently high temperature during extremely cold weather and to prevent the'temperature from dropping below a certainvalue and possibly'from freezing.

The primaryobject of theinventionis to provide an improved heating system which maybe employed in connection with the.cooling system of an internal combustionengine, particularly for motor vehicles, including means for automatically operating the heating'systemfor raisingzthe temperature of the liquid in the cooling system when the atmospherictemperature: is low enough to chill the liquid of the cooling system below a predetermined temperature.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electric control means for engine'heatingsystems, said means including an electromagnet, by which a reliable automatic operation can be obtainedand a simple structure-may be rendered possible.

Another objectof the invention isthe provision of a burner of suitable construction for'heaters; the operation of which'is independent of the varions oblique positions, the" heater may take if mountedin -a motor car.

A still further object'is the provision of control means for heaters for engine cooling systems, wherebysuch-systemmay be set for automatic or manual control at will.

Other objects and advantages'of the invention will be apparent "from the following; detailed description, reference beinghad to the'accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification andin which Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation illustrating the'inner of the fore portion of the motor car having an engine heater devised according to theinvention and mounted in the cooling system thereof,

Fig. 2isa sectional view'illustratingan assembly of the engine heater, the various maindevices included thereinbeing shown laterally of meanother,

Fig. 2a is a vertical elevation illustrating a modification of the burner proper.

Fig. 3 is a vertical elevationof the burner" and the main devices enclosed within the same casing as the burner,

Fig. 4 is a top view illustrating the burner included in Fig. 1 with the cover removed,

Fig. 5 is a top view of a; valve included in Fig. 1 and. operated" by an electromagnet, the housing thereof being removed;

Figs; 6 and 7 are sectional viewstaken on lines VI-VI and VIIVII respectivelyin Fig. 2,

Figs. 8, 9, l0 andll illustrate an electric wiring diagram with associated parts in the various positions taken by the same at certain different temperaturesof the cooling liquid.

The cooling liquid heater broadly consists of' a container A forliquid fuel, such as spirit, petroleum or the like, said container being formedas a fall tank,a closure means Bfor manual closure of the fuel supply fromsaid container, a contrivance C to oontrol'the' level of the fuel, said contrivance comprising afloat and a floathousing' anda fuel valveactuated by said fioat, an electromagnet D, a burner E, a boiler F comprising a chamber or passage passedby thecooling liquid andadapted' to be heated by meansof the burner, a thermostatG in the liquid circulating conduit, and a thermostat H responsive to the temperature of the burner flame or theflue gases from the burner.

Thecontrivance C'for controlling the level of the fuel, the electromagnet D and the valve thereof, theburner E with its heat receiving liquid chamberand the thermost-atG are assembled to alunit, whichas illustrated in'Fig. 1, is connected to the conduit L for the cold waterbetween the cooler M and the lower portion of the cooling jacket Not the engine of the vehicle by -a pipe K and with the conduit P for the heat Water between the top portion of the coolingjaoket N and the cooler M by a pipe 0. Ris' the storage battery of the engine and S atmanually shiftable switchin an electric lead between the batteryR; and the thermostatG.

The fuel is conveyed fromthe'tankA through anet strainer l to thecvalve housing .Zof. the closure means or check valve B, and flowsfrom this housing through a conduit'ii into avalve housing 4 at the bottomof' the float housing 5. The. float 6 in. this fioathousing actuatesahut I, which isscrewed onto a valverod 8 an dladjustable into 'diiierent positions thereon; said valve rod being providedwith avalve body such as a cone 9 on tlie lowerend thereof projecting intothevalve housing-r 4; In the: position shown in Fig; 2 the valve is. open, the. float 6 then taking itsxlower. position. When theliquid levelin the float housing exceeds the. position marked bythe linelll, the valve cone. Stakes. itsupper position against thezvalveseat l l ,.so that the iuelsupply to the float housing is cut off. The'floatrhousing 5'is connected through a conduit l2 to a check-valve I4 controlled by theelectromagnet D, said valve having avalve seat l6 screwed into the valve housing I5 and adapted to be adjusted into different vertical positions. A conduit ll extends from housing of the valve i l to the bottom of the vaporizing member l8 of the burner E, which comprises a passageway, which in the normal operative position of the burner extends vertically or substantially vertically. The passageway has an ascendent portion 203 communieating with the fuel inlet and a descendent portion 200 arranged as a continuation of the portion 203 and opening into a suitably annular distribution chamber 205 for fuel vaporize in the passageway. The distribution chamber hasa number of outlet holes 205, which open to the space 20? between suitably conical or cylindrical shells 200, 209 of perforated sheet metal, wire net or the like. In the illustrated embodiment the shells 208, 209 are conical and mounted in coaxial relation to each other, the inner cone enclosing a space 2 l which is open downwards to admit combustion air thereinto. At the top there is a cover 2| 5 having an outlet hole 2 l 2.

The burner is provided with a preheating and lighting device which comprises an electric heating element in the form of a resistance wire and a surrounding metallic casing 215 in the form of a tube mounted concentrically in the tubular vaporizing member, the wire 20 being connected in series with a glow filament 24. This filament, located in the space 207, is mounted at one end to a grounded terminal 26 secured to the outer surface of shell 200 and is mounted at its other end upon the outer end of a terminal strip which passes through an insulating bushing secured in the wall of shell 209 to the interior thereof. The inner end of terminal strip 25 is connected by wire 16 to the upper end of the heater wire 20. The latter is fixed at its opposite ends in electrical insulating plugs 2H, 210 mounted in the tubular casing at the ends thereof, and the passageway 203, 200 is formed by the space between the tubular casing 215 and the tube [8 and a transverse partition 2l9 (Fig. 6), the top of which is located below the closed top of the tube 18 so as to leave a communication between the portions 203, 200 of the passageway. The glow filament extends into the space 207 at a distance above the gas distribution chamber 205 and the outlet holes 200 thereof. The glow filament, which is adapted to start the burner automatically can readily be exchanged on having been used up.

In operation, when the burner is to be started, the current is switched on to the preheating and lighting device. The passageway 203, 200 is heated by the preheating device. In the vertical portion 203 the fuel extends to a level I0 determined by the level control means. The fuel is vaporized, and the gas passes upward to the top of the passage portion 203 and down through the passage portion 204, in which it is further heated, whereupon the gas escapes through the outlet and enters the distribution chamber 205. In this chamber the gas is distributed to the various outlet holes 20", through which it escapes to enter the space 201. The ascending fuel gas is lighted by the glow filament 24 when passing it. Air flows up inside the inner shell 200 and outside the outer shell 200, and the combustion of the gas takes place in a well-known manner at and between the perforated shells. Heat is transmitted by radiation and conduction from the shells 208, 200 to the casing l8 and the passageway 203, 204, which is located adjacent the inner shell 200. After the burner has been started in this manner, the current is switched off to the heating element and the glow filament, which may occur automatically or manually, as described more in detail hereinafter.

Should the burner take an oblique position so that the passageway 203, 204 does not stand vertically, the level of fuel in the passage portion 203 will rise or sink, which, however, have no influence upon the operation of the burner, when the level is located above the bottom of the passage portion 203 and below the top thereof.

The liquid chamber for the heating fluid which communicates with the cooling system of the engine is illustrated in the drawing with an inlet 21 and an outlet 28. Located therebetween are a pocket 29 and the liquid chamber F surrounding the burner E. The pocket and said chamber being interconnected by a tube piece 23. The liquid chamber is confined by a suitably cylindric outer jacket I24 and an inner wall I25, the top of the latter being provided with radial projections E26 filled up with liquid to increase the heat receiving surface. Formed between the top of said projections are outlet slots 3| (Fig. 4), from which the flue gases from the burner are deflected laterally under a cover 32, screwed onto a screw-threaded collar 33. Located below said collar is the flue gas thermostat H in a pocket 34, which is closed at the top thereof by an electric insulating plug 35.

The electromagnet D comprises a casing 35 having a bottom opening 31 and a cover 38. Pro-: vided in this casing is an upper electromagnet Winding or coil 39 and a lowerelectrornagnet winding or coil 00, and in central recesses in said windings there is arranged an amature 42 devised to move up and down in said recesses the electromagnet coils, said armature being associated with a shaft 03 extending freely through central apertures in the coils. Pole shoes ll, ll surround the coils 39 and 00 respectively in part and form abutments for the armature. The shaft 43 carries, on the lower end thereof, a valve member 04 adapted to cooperate with the valve seat E3 of the valve M, in order thus to cut off the fuel supply to the burner E. The valve housing i5 is separated from the interior of the electromagnet casing 30 through a diaphragm 45, which is clamped with a tight fit to the shaft and to the border of the opening 3!. Outside the casing 33 the shaft 03 carries, on the upper end thereof, a threaded rod 35 having an adjustable disk nut ll from electrical insulating material arranged thereon. The rod 05 carries on the top thereof an electrically insulated button d8. Secured to the top of the cover 38 are three pairs of contacts 39, 09, 50, 50' and 5!, 5| formed as leaf springs. The first-mentioned two pairs of contacts are so devised as to be kept apart when not acted upon, whereas the lastmentioned pair of contacts 5!, Eli are so devised as to engage each other when not acted upon. The disk nut ll on the rod 06 is adapted to cooperate with the pairs of contacts 49, 10' and 50, 50 to bring these contacts into engagement with each other, while the button 48 on the rod 00 is intended to cooperate simultaneously with the contact 51 and to bring the latter out of engagement with the contact 5!. Associated with the electromagnet is a spring mechanism consisting broadly of a spring leaf 52 having the shaft 03 extending therethrough, to which it is secured at the central portion thereof, while being also secured with the peripheral portion thereof to the casing 30. This spring mechanism 5, is intended to retain the armature 42 in an upper or a lower position on having been moved to these positions by a current impulse through the coils 39 or lll, respectively.

The thermostat arranged in the pocket ilil is provided with two contact springs 53, t insulated from each other and with a bimetallic spring 56 adapted to close a current circuit over the one spring 54, when the temperature of the water is low, such as C., and over the other contact spring 55 at a higher temperature, such as 60 C. For the-sake of simplicity, the contact spring 54 is here called the cold contact, whereas the contact spring 55 is called the warm contact. The springs 5t, 55, 56 are thrust down into a tube 5?, which is washed by the liquid flowing forth in the pocket 2d. The tube 51 is secured with a tight fit in a cover 58 closing the pocket it at the top, and the springs 54, 55, 56 are separated by insulatingpieces tit and kept together with the latter as a unit means of screws 59, said unit being insulatingly secured in a cover iii, which closes the upper mouth of the tube 5?.

The thermostat H comprises a bimetallic spring 62 having contacts Hit, tile and, at each side of the same, a contact member 63 and H52. Cornnections to this contact spring and these contact members are designated with 55, it let respectively. In the cold state the contact tilt of the bimetallic spring 62 touches the contact 63 to close the current circuit at this place, but when the bimetallic spring is warm, it is deflected to the left in Fig. 2 and interrupts the current at contact Hi2 but closes the circuit at 63 by its contact li'i l.

The elecrical connections between the electromagnet and the thermostat are shown in the wiring diagram according to Figs. 8-1l. Extending from the positive terminal of a source of current 12, preferably the battery of the engine (R in Fig. l), is a wire E3 to the contact if! of the electromagnet, said wire preferably extending over a manually operable switch it (S in Fig. l), by means of which the source of current may be thrown into and out of circuit. Extending from the corresponding contact 39 to the bimetallic spring 62 of the thermostat H is a wire M, and from the contact 83 of this thermostat a wire it extends to the preheating winding 26, which is connected to one terminal of the ignition filament 24 through a wire it. The other terminal 26 of the ignition filament is connected to earth. Thus the preheating wire 2% and the ignition filament 24 are connected in series, and the throwing of the same in and out of circuit is dependent on the pair of contacts it, til of the thermostat H as well as of the electromagnet D.

From the wire it extending from the positive terminal of the source or current "2 a wire ii is extended to the bimetal spring 56 of the thermostat G. The cold contact of this thermostat is connected through a wire i8 with the contact 5| of the elecromagnet, while the corresponding contact 5! is connected through a wire 353 with one end of the electr-omagnet winding 3%. The other'end of this winding is connected to earth. The warm" contact 55 of the thermostat G is connected through a wire 86 with the contact 50 of the electromagnet, while the corresponding contact 5c is connected through a wire 8i with the electromagnet winding it. The other end of this winding is connected to earth. The negative terminal of the source of current it is connected to earth througha wire 62.

The cold contact 54 of the thermostat G is shunted through a wire 83 comprising a manu-. ally operable switch B l, such as a push button switch, by means of which the apparatus may be started manually, independently of the thermostat G. If desired, the switch 84 maybe substituted for the contact 5 5. In a similar manner, the warm contact 55 is shunted through a wire 85 comprising a switch 86, by means of which the heatin apparatus may be disconnected manually.

The thermostat H may be modified in many respects, particularly so as to be actuated directly by the heat of radiation from the flame of the burner intsead of by the flue gas heat.

According to the modified construction illustrated in Fig. 2c, the burner housing 87 is provided with a central passage 88 for combustion air. At the top, the burner housing forms an annular space 89 for the wick fill. The outer wall of the space 89 has its upper portion ill perforated. The lower portion .32 is surrounded by the preheating coil 93, and immediately beside the upper portion Ql, the ignition filament or filaments 9d are extended between projections or flanges 95, B6. The burner flame, which is formed at the burning of combustion gases escaping through the perforated wall 92, is enclosed between an internal perforated pipe d? and an outer perforated jacket Eli. The pipe 97 forms an upward continuation of the passage 83, and the jacket Elli surrounds the upper portion of the burner housing together with the preheating coil and the ignition filaments. The air for the combustion proceeds upwardly both within the pipe ill and outside the jacket Q8. A socket 993 is adapted to be connected to the fuel supply pipe ll (Fig. 2). The pipe coil 36 for the cooling liquid is connected at the top to a receptacle WE) forming a roof above the pipe 9? and the upper borders of the jacket 88. Provided in the intermediate space between the receptacle Hit and the upper borders thereof is a heat conducting plate cl consisting, for instance, of copper, said plate conducting heat from the burner flame to the thermostat H. Apart from the plate till the thermostat may be principally of the same construction as that illustrated in Fig. 2 and thus it may have a bimetallic spring 62 with contacts tilt, I04 between two stationary contacts $2, [$52, which are electrically insulated from each other and from the bimetallic spring. The plate till has direct heat conducting connection with the bimetallic spring, so that heat will be readily conducted to the latter. 55 designates a current connection for the contacts I63, m4 of the bimetal spring, and E55 denotes a current connection for the fixed contact 63, while I designates a current connection for the fixed contact 102. The contacts N33, 63 touch one another when the thermostat is cold, while the contacts H321, we touch each other, when it is warm, that is to say when the burner is ignited. In the latter case, a circuit is closed over an indicating means, such as a signal lamp let in an earthed wire It? connected to the connection Hi5, Fig. 10.

158, its designate safety fuses connected into the leads Ti and i i respectively (Fig. 8). These safety fuses may be arranged on a switch board together with the swiches l3, at and and the signal lamp I66.

The function of the heating apparatus described is broadly as follows. When the term perature of the cooling system of the motor is at a value between the temperature limits, for instance 10 C. and 60 C., at which the contact spring 56 of the thermostat G cooperates with the contacts 5d and 55, respectively, the thermostats G and H and the movable parts of the electromagnet D take the positions shown by way of example in Fig. 8. Thus the contact spring 56 of the thermostat G is out of engagement with the contacts 54 and 55, while the contacts 62, 53 of the thermostat H are thrown into circuit and the armature 42 of the electromagnet takes its lower position, so that the valve I l is closed. Consequently, fuel cannot flow from the receptacle A to the burner E. The disk nut =31 arranged on the shaft of the armature and the button 48 are out of engagement with the contacts of the electromagnet, the pairs of contacts 49, t9 and 55, 55 being thus open, while the pairs of contacts 5| and 5| are closed.

Now, if the temperature of the radiator liquid falls to a lower limit, for instance to 10, or below, the current is closed over the contacts 541, 55 of the thermostat G, so that a current impulse is obtained from the positive terminal of the source of current over the wire ll, said contacts 55, 56, the wire 78, the closed contacts 5!, Ed, the wire 19, and the upper winding 39 of the electromagnet. The armature 42 will thus be pulled upwards while overcoming the resiliency of the spring mechanism 52, which at a given moment brings about a momentary upward movement of the shaft 43. Thus, the pair of contacts 5i, 5! will be momentarily opened, while the pairs of contacts 49, 49' and 55, 55' are closed at the same time. The circuit over the electromagnet winding 39 is thus interrupted immediately, while another circuit is closed from the positive terminal of the battery over the lead l3, the pair of contacts 49, 49' the lead l t, the thermostat H already closed, the lead 75, the preheating winding 20, the lead 16, and the ignition filament 25 to earth. This condition is shown in Fig. 9. The preheating winding 20 now heats the evaporizing tube [8, to which the fuel supply is opened at the upward movement of the armature 52 and thus of the valve member 45. The fuel commences to gasify, and the burner is ignited and operates in the manner described hereinbefore. The liquid flowing in the circulation passage F will thus be heated, so that the cooling system of the engine and the engine proper are heated.

As soon as the burner has been lighted, the thermostat H is heated, so that the current is interrupted at the contacts 62, 53, and is closed at the contacts I02, I54. The signal lamp ms in the lead I5! is illuminated so as to indicate that the burner is lighted.

The temperature of the thermostat pocket 29 having the cooling liquid flowing therethrough also rises, so that the contact 56 of the thermostat G is brought out of contact with the cold contact 55, as shown in Fig. 10. The heating of the thermostate H and the opening of the contacts 62, 53 involves that the circuit for the preheating winding 25 and the ignition filament 24 is interrupted. The armature 42 remains in its upper position, however, wherein it is held by the spring mechanism 52.

As soon as the upper temperature limit has been reached in the cooling liquid system, the

contacts 56, 55 of the thermostat G are closed,

as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. A current impulse is thus obtained from the positive terminal of the source of current 12 over the wire Tl, said contacts 56, 55 the lead 80, the pair of contacts 50', 50 (Fig. 10), the lead 8|, and the lower elecand means connected with said armature to 01 tromagnet winding 40 to earth. The armature 42 is thus pulled downwardly, and the spring mechanism 52 aids toward effecting a momentary removal of the disk nut 41 and the button 58 from the contact springs 49, 50 and 5!. At the downward movement of the armature the valve member 44 is moved against its seat l6, so that the valve I4 is closed and the fuel supply to the burner E is interrupted. The burner thus becomes extinguished, as soon as the fuel in the conduit 11 behind the valve Hi and in the burner housing l8 has been completely burnt. When the burner has become extinguished, the thermostate H is cooled down, so that the current to the signal lamp I05 is interrupted by the contacts I52, I54, and is then closed over the contacts H13, 53. The same condition, which is shown in Fig. 8, has now been reached, and a further heating period may commence, should the temperature of the cooling liquid fall below the lower limit value.

If it is desired to start the burner, when the thermostat G is interrupted (Fig. 8), this may be effected by the closing of the switch 34. When this is done, the current flows from the positive terminal of the source of current over the wires l5, the wire 33 with the switch 34, the wire "iii, the contacts 5!, 5|, the wire 19 and the electromagnet winding 59 to earth, the electromagnet being thus caused to open the fuel valve, so that the burner is lighted in the manner hereinloefore described. Analogously, the burner may be extinguished by disconnecting the switch 86, which has the same eifect as if the current were interrupted at the contacts 55, 55 of the thermostat G.

The mode of operation of an apparatus with the modified construction of the burner is anal ogous to the mode of operation described. It should be noted that, although the apparatus in Fig. 2 has been shown with a thermostat H with contacts for the signal lamp, these contacts may be omitted, if a signal lamp is not deemed desirable.

Alterations of the details shown may also be undertaken in many other respects within the scope of the invention. The invention may be used in heating apparatus for other purposes than cooling systems for engines, such as for heating of rooms in houses, the thermostat G being placed in the room to be heated and the communication means 2?, 28 being connected with the pipe system of the heating plant.

What I claim is:

1. In a heater for maintaining the temperature of the cooling liquid of an engine cooling system at controlled values, the combination of a liquid chamber, liquid connections between said chamber and the engine cooling system, thermostatic means responsive to the temperature of the cooling liquid, an electromagnet having a movable armature and being controlled by said thermostatic means, a liquid fuel burner for heating the liquid chamber, a fuel tank disposed above the level of said burner, a conduit interconnecting said tank and burner to supply liquid fuel to said burner by gravity flow, a float operated valve in said conduit for maintaining a constant fuel level in said burner, a valve controlling said fuel supply, said valve in said conduit between said float operated valve and burner being connected With the armature of the electromagnet, a circuit comprising said thermostatic means and contacts,

9. crate said contacts and to automatically open the fuel valve at movement of the armature in one direction and closing the valve and operate the contacts at movement in the other direction.

2. A control means for maintaining the temperature of the cooling liquid of an engine cooling system between a low limit and a high limit of temperature, the combination of a liquid passage, liquid connections between said passage and said engine cooling system, a burner to heat said passage, an electromagnet having two windings and a movable armature, a valve for the control of the fuel supply to the burner, said valve being connected with the armature, a thermostat responsive to the cooling liquid temperature and having a contact engaged at the low temperature limit and a contact engaged at the high temperature limit, a member responsive to the tem erature of the burner, three contacts operated by the movable armature, and a first circuit comprising the thermostat contact for the low limit of temperature and one electromagnet winding, 2. second circuit comprising the thermostat contact operated at the high limit of temperature and the second electromagnet winding, and a third circuit comprising the member responsive to the burner temperature.

3. Control means as claimed in claim 2 and further comprising a spring mechanism adapted to maintain said armature in the position, into which it has been set at energizing either electromagnet winding.

4. In a heater for maintaining the temperature of the cooling liquid of an engine cooling system at controlled values, the combination of a liquid passage, communication means between said passage and the cooling system, a liquid fuel burner for heating the liquid in said passage, a fall tank for the fuel, means connecting the fall tank with the burner, a float operated valve in said connecting means for maintaining a constant fuel level in the burner and an electromagnetic liquid valve for controlling the flow of fuel through said connecting means.

5. A control means as claimed in claim 2, in which the third circuit comprises a li hting and pre-heating device in series with the thermostat responsive to the burner temperature.

6. In a control means as claimed in claim 2, a manually o erable switch coupled parallel with the contact of the thermostatic means operating at the low limit of the cooling liquid temperature and coupled in series with the electromagnet.

7. In a control means as claimed in claim 2, a manually operable switch is coupled to shunt the contact of the cooling liquid responsive thermostat operating at the high limit of the cooling liquid temperature to enable manual disconnection of the control means.

8. A control means as claimed in claim 2, in which the member responsive to the temperature of the burner comprises a thermostat having a contact, indicating means being coupled to said contact to be engaged in dependence thereon during the period of operation of the burner.

9. In a heater for maintaining the temperature of the cooling liquid of an engine cooling system at suitable values, the combination of a liquid chamber, liquid connections between said chamber and the engine cooling system, a liquid fuel burner for heating said liquid chamber, said burner comprising an evaporation passage for the fuel extending substantially vertically in the normal operative position of the heater, a. preheating element mounted in said passage, said pre-heating element being disposed within a tubular member and said assage being formed by the space between said pro-heating element and the wall of said tubular member, a fuel tank disposed above the level of said burner, communication means between the fuel tank and said evaporation passage for conducting fue1 by gravity to said passage, a float operated valve to maintain the fuel at a predetermined level in the evaporation passage, and an electromagnetic liquid valve for interrupting the fuel supply to the burner at a high limit of temperature of the cooling liquid and for opening said fuel supply at a low limit of temperature of the cooling liquid.

10. In a heater for maintaining the temperature of the cooling liquid of an engine cooling system between predetermined limits, the combination of a liquid chamber, liquid connections between said chamber and the engine cooling system, a liquid fuel burner for heating said liquid chamber, said burner comprising an evaporation passage having an inlet portion extending upward and a vaporizing portion extending downward from a communication with the upward portion, the burner further comprising a distribution chamber receiving the vaporized fuel from the downward extending passage portion and a combustion chamber formed by the space between perforated metallic shells, an automatic lighting device in said space above the distribution chamber, a fuel tank, communication means between said fuel tank and said upward portion of the evaporation passage for conducting fuel thereto, a float operated valve to maintain the fuel at a predetermined level in the upward portion of the evaporation passage, an elevator magnet having a movable armature, a valve in the fuel communication means between the fuel tank and the burner, said valve being connected with the armature to be actuated thereby to open the fuel communication at a low limit of temperature in the cooling liquid and to close the valve at a high limit of temperature.

11. A heater as claimed in claim 10, in which the evaporation passage is located in heat transmitting proximity of the gas distribution chamber.

12. A heater as claimed in claim 10, in which the evaporation passage is located in heat transmitting connection with the space between the perforated shells.

13. Control means for heaters of liquid, comprising an electromagnet having an armature movable between two extreme positions, a winding for the movement of the armature in one direction and a winding for the movement thereof in the opposite direction and further having three pairs of contacts, two of said pairs being engaged in one of said positions and disengaged in the other position and the third pair being disengaged in the first position and engaged in the second position, means connecting said latter pair with one of the windings and means to connect one of the remaining pairs with the other winding, a liquid fuel valve connected with the armature, a burner, means for igniting said burner, said means comprising a thermostat responsive to the temperature of the burner and connected with the other of the remaining pairs of contacts, and means responsive to the temperature of the liquid heated by the burner, the last-mentioned means being connected with the windings of the electromagnet to energize one winding at a certain temperature of the liquid for opening the valve, and the other winding for closing the valve at a higher temperature.

14. In a heater for maintaining the temperature of the cooling liquid of an engine cooling system at controlled values, the combination of a liquid passage, communication means between said passage and the cooling system, a fuel burner in heat transfer relation with the liquid in said passage, a fuel tank, a fuel line connecting said tank with said burner, an electrically heated ignition device for the fuel admitted to said burner, an electrically actuated valve in said fuel line controlling fuel flow to said burner, a thermostat responsive to the temperature of the cooling liquid and controlling energization of said fuel control valve, and a second thermostat responsive to the temperature of said fuel burner controlling energization of said ignition device, said second thermostat and ignition device being connected in an energizing circuit including switch means actuated by said fuel control valve.

GUY JOHN OLOF WELIN-BERGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

